-
Yukie Nakama to star in “Nene ~Onna Taikouki”
Maybe it’s because she just looks stunning in kimono but Yukie Nakama will be starring in another (Musashi, Komyo ga Tsuji) historical drama called “Nene ~Onna Taikouki.” The TV Tokyo drama will also star kabuki actor Kamejirou Ichikawa and is set to air on January 2, 2009. (Via goo.)
-
Introducing Three Strings: Everything Sanshin
Today we’re announcing a new website called Three Strings: Everything Sanshin. We’re hoping it’ll do for sanshin, what Karakui.com has done for Okinawan pop culture: make information for that subject available to a larger audience. Please kindly add the website to your browser’s bookmarks or even better, add it to your newsreader. Nifee deebitan! Richie,…
-
Off the Wall to feature live Okinawan music!!!
Off the Wall Originally uploaded by Champuru Watch, enjoy and listen to live Okinawan music every 1st and 3rd Wednesday night of the month at Off the Wall (Aiea, Hawaii). (From their email newsletter—nifee deebitan to Sandaa-sensei for the tip!): Join us this coming Wednesday, September 17, at OFF THE WALL BAR for LIVE OKINAWAN…
-
Ryukyu Beatles, not an insect, rather, it’s the name of an album
Yup, Richie here at Karakui.com is a pretty big fan of The Beatles and it’s pretty cool to see their music redone with an Okinawan twist. The group of this wonderful album are calling themselves “Soul Gakudan” and they’re none other than Toru Yonaha (sanshin, fue), Kazunari Uechi (taiko), Yoko Onaga (koto) and Natsuko Morita…
-
Syakari celebrates 10th anniversary with a best of album
Pop group Syakari will be marking their 10th anniversary with their very first best of album titled “10th anniversary BEST~Boku to Iu Na no Chizu~.” The 15-track album will be released on 10/22/08 and retail for ¥2,800. Included is their single (above YouTube clip) “Taiyou no Hito” and the best of album spans their album…
-
Lecture-Demonstration: “Ryukyu Geino: The Legacy of Kin Ryosho”
There will be a Ryukyuan/Okinawan classical performing arts lecture-demonstration next month on Sunday the 12th from 3PM to 5PM at the University of Hawai‘i School of Architecture Auditorium. Admission is free! From the flyer (download it here in PDF): “Ryukyu Geino: The Legacy of Kin Ryosho,” a free public lecture-demonstration discussing the art and teachings…
-
Stereo Pony to be the next big artist out of Okinawa?
I’ve seen a few of them come and go but can J-rock girl band Stereo Pony be the next big artist out of Okinawa in following the gigantic footsteps of ORANGE RANGE (OR) and HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR (HandMC)? If history is any indication, the answer should be a resounding yes, they can and that’s…
-
Akane Murayoshi releases debut album!
A song that I completely fell in love with in 2006 also happened to be the Miuta Taishou Grand Prix winner of that same year: “Miyarabi nu Hana.” The song—sung by upcoming utasaa Akane Murayoshi of Kumejima Town—also performed at the Okinawan Festival in Hawaii in 2006. The album, unsurprisingly titled “Miyarabi nu Hana,” was…
-
And the awesome new releases for 2008 keep coming!
Geez, I’m really going to go broke this year what with all these great CD releases in the 2nd half of 2008 and with my mom’s and big bro’s birthdays this month, Xmas and that shiny new iPod nano. But I digress. Coming on 10/10/08, an artist whom I really, really admire, Suekichi Matsuda, will…
-
Rinken Teruya’s solo album, “Pause,” available on iTunes
We all know him as the leader of perhaps the greatest recorded O-pop group in history, Rinken Band, and Rinken Teruya is finally recording a solo album. Pre-released in a digital format exclusively at the iTunes Store in August 4th of this year (yeah, I missed it), “Pause” (link opens iTunes Store) is an instrumental,…
Karakui 